Northampton County Council members spar with controller

Calling him a hack, Northampton County Council members tell controller to hit the road

Nearly three hours of budget talk by Northampton County Council closed with a slice of political theater Thursday night as several members called Controller Stephen Barron a hack and called for him to resign.

Moments after raising property taxes 9 percent, Councilman Hayden Phillips called Barron to the podium and rattled off a resolution calling for him to resign his four-year seat as full-time county controller.

Barron, a Democrat second-term controller, has often sparred with administration officials and most recently issued a report last week calling for Republican County Executive John Brown and his deputy director of administration, Cathy Allen, to return a combined $1,500 in mileage reimbursements and meals.

The problem, chimed in councilmen Mathew Benol and Seth Vaughn, was that Barron's report was poorly researched and promptly sent by email to the media.

"You've turned our county email website into your own propaganda machines," said Vaughan, a first-term Republican. "You're not advocating for [the employees], you're a political hack."

Phillips' resolution was ultimately tabled, but Barron took the criticism with a smile.

He issued a no comment from the podium, but after the meeting made it clear that he's going nowhere.

"Of course I'm not resigning," he said.

Barron's position is an independent, full-time controller seat elected by taxpayers. He's up for re-election next year.

"That's what this is really about," said Councilman Ken Kraft, a Democrat. "One of their buddies must want his seat. It's nothing but political grandstanding."

Benol insisted that it's not. He said he's researched the Home Rule Charter and said it is within council's right to seek to impeach the controller, if they believe he has persistently violated county policy.

"That's ridiculous," said Councilman Lamont McClure, a Democrat and advocate of Barron. "Not going to happen. This is nothing more than political grandstanding."